Public Affairs monitoring for week ending 10 July 2026

Concern grows over summer disruption as pressure mounts over EU Entry/Exit System

Business and Trade Committee Chair Liam Byrne MP spoke in Parliament on 8 July to back the concerns raised by the Port of Dover about the risk of significant disruption resulting from the EES. In a letter from Port of Dover Chief Executive Doug Bannister, he warned the Business and Trade Committee that another Critical Incident could occur during the summer holiday period unless greater flexibility is applied to the operation of the new border controls. He also highlighted potential impacts on supply chains, noting and that delays could affect the movement of medicines, fresh food and automotive components.

The issue was also debated in the House of Commons through an Urgent Question on the EES. Sir Roger Gale MP (Conservative, Herne Bay and Sandwich) warned that delays of up to 12 hours could affect both passengers and freight and called for a temporary waiver of the system. Home Affairs Committee Chair Dame Karen Bradley MP (Conservative, Staffordshire Moorlands) urged the government to use traffic forecasting data to trigger mitigation measures before disruption occurs. Mike Reader MP (Labour, Northampton South) highlighted concerns from the logistics sector about the impact of delays and additional administrative burdens on hauliers. Border Security Minister Alex Norris responded that ministers are engaging daily with France, the European Commission and industry to ensure available flexibilities are used to prioritise traffic flow and minimise disruption.

Separately, members of the Home Affairs Committee visited Dover last week and warned that passengers could face significant delays unless operational issues affecting the EES are resolved before the school summer holidays.

Railways Bill has Second Reading with Peers supporting rail freight

The Railways Bill had its Second Reading in the House of Lords on 7 July and, opening the debate, Rail Minister Lord Hendy said the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) would improve coordination across the railway, simplify decision-making and create a more strategic approach to network capacity and service delivery.

Peers called for further electrification, additional freight terminals and full-length freight loops to increase capacity and support modal shift. Several peers welcomed the Bill’s requirement for rail freight growth targets, arguing that rail freight is essential to achieving economic growth and net zero objectives. Others highlighted the importance of ensuring a fair and transparent approach to network access and capacity allocation for freight.

Following a meeting with Logistics UK, Shadow Transport Minister Lord Moylan raised concerns that freight could be disadvantaged due to GBR’s control of both infrastructure and passenger services and called for safeguards to ensure freight receives fair treatment. Similarly, following engagement with Logistics UK, Lord Hampton raised concerns about whether the Bill would provide a level playing field for non-GBR operators, highlighting that it could result in freight being deprioritised in capacity allocation, planning, charging and investment decisions.

Responding to the debate, Rail Minister Lord Hendy welcomed support for the freight growth target and said it would help deliver both economic growth and the government’s net zero ambitions. He also provided reassurance that there is no intention for GBR to interfere with privately funded rail freight infrastructure, noting the significant investment made by the private sector in rail-connected warehouses and freight facilities.

Also this week

Government

• The government published a one-year-on update on the Modern Industrial Strategy on 8 July, highlighting progress on planning reform, energy cost reduction, skills investment, access to finance and regulatory reform. The update also confirmed plans to introduce regulatory sandboxes later this year, including for maritime autonomy and last-mile delivery, to support innovation and economic growth.
• Logistics UK submitted its response to DESNZ’s call for evidence on flexibility in electrolytic hydrogen production and use on 6 July. The response argued that investment decisions being made now will shape the logistics sector’s decarbonisation pathway.
• The government published its response to the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) consultation on 8 July, confirming it will proceed with planned regulatory changes to the Renewables Obligation, Capacity Market and Feed-in Tariffs.
• The government laid before Parliament the proposed final text of the amended National Policy Statement (NPS) for Ports on 6 July, which sets the policy framework for decisions on nationally significant port infrastructure projects in England and Milford Haven, Wales. Logistics UK responded to the consultation, calling for stronger protection of existing water freight infrastructure and greater recognition of the importance of intermodal connectivity and a UK-wide freight network. The final NPS reflects a number of these recommendations, with stronger references to ports’ role within the national freight and logistics system, enhanced emphasis on road, rail and waterway connectivity, support for modal shift, and explicit recognition of the need for HGV parking and freight infrastructure resilience.
• The government laid regulations on 7 July restricting the use of terms such as “self-driving”, “driverless”, “automated driving” and “autonomous driving” to vehicles officially authorised under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. The regulations are expected to come into force on 7 January 2027.

Parliament

• The Transport Committee launched an inquiry to scrutinise the government’s draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement on 24 June. The deadline to submit evidence is the 23 July. This follows the government’s public consultation on the Airports National Policy Statement on 18 June, setting the framework for future decisions on Heathrow’s third runway. The consultation, which runs until 1 September 2026, seeks views on how expansion can meet requirements on noise, air quality, climate and economic growth, ahead of a final planning decision expected in 2029.

Devolved, regional and local

• Transport for West Midlands is exploring the introduction of a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) for HGVs, similar to the scheme implemented by Transport for London in 2021, and is seeking stakeholder views through a consultation running until 1 August. Logistics UK’s position is that any DVS scheme must align exactly with the existing London scheme.

Coming up

• Entries are now open for Logistics UK’s Logistics Awards 2026, celebrating its 10th year and recognising excellence across the logistics sector. With categories ranging from innovation, decarbonisation and diversity to freight, warehousing and leadership, businesses and individuals are encouraged to submit free entries by the extended deadline of 5pm on 17 July. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 10 December 2026 at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London. Please enter here.
• On Monday 13 July, the Civil Aviation (Consumer and Regulatory Reform) Bill is having its Report Stage in the House of Lords.
• On Tuesday 14 July, the Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill is having its Second Reading and all remaining stages in the House of Lords.
• On Tuesday 14 July, the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill is having its Second Reading in the House of Lords.
• On Wednesday 15 July, the Transport Committee is having a session on the Road Safety Strategy.